It's Khan in four for Dean Harrison

Dean Harrison has predicted his former rival Paul McCloskey's dream of becoming the WBA world champion will end in four rounds with Amir Khan.

European title holder McCloskey will take on Khan for his WBA belt at the Manchester Evening News Arena tonight but it will not be on Sky Box Office as planned, with Primetime instead screening the event.

The challenger has an unblemished record of 22 wins from 22 fights, 12 inside the distance, including a fourth round stoppage over Harrison defending his British light welterweight title in March 2009.

Wolverhampton's Harrison knows first-hand what a dangerous man McCloskey is but he believes Khan's speed will be too much for the Northern Irishman to take.

It will be Khan in four, according to 'Deano.'

He said: "I seriously think Khan will stop him in four rounds, I know how awkward McCloskey and it's hard to land on him, but it's Khan's speed and he's got power to go with it.

"I know McCloskey's style and it's based on reactions, but I don't think his reactions will be quick enough to get out of the way of Khan's punches.

"That said, McCloskey can punch and, for me, the only way he can win is by knockout. But to beat speed, you have got to have good timing and his will have to be perfect.

"I would love him to win, just to say I lost to a world champion, but I do actually rate Khan."

Had Harrison had it his way, he would have also had Khan on his fight record, after putting his name forward as a potential opponent in December 2008, a fight which eventually went to Oisin Fagan.

Walsall's former English lightweight champion Martin Gethin had turned down £35,000 to face Khan and Harrison was keen to take his place.

He said: "I tried to get to the fight and would have even dropped down in weight, but it still didn't come off.

"I would have had a good chance as well, because everyone thought Khan couldn't take a shot at the time."

The big fight for Harrison eventually came in the form of McCloskey three months laterm but the fight came at eight days notice.

It took everything he had just to make the weight and, as early as the first round, the writing was on the wall for all to see.

Harrison had never been on the floor as a professional fighter but was put over by McCloskey, after a peach of a left hook straight to the chin.

'Deano' clung on but was pulled out by referee Marcus McDonnell after coming under heavy fire in the fourth and, with that, the fight was over.

And the 27-year-old believes it was over before it had even started.

He said: "I wasn't in that fight because I had nothing there, I was totally drained. The referee stopped it because I just wasn't throwing anything.

"It killed me to make the weight and I thought to myself 'I have got no chance here' but, on the night, I tried to psyche myself up but I didn't have an ounce of confidence.

"I had sparred McCloskey a couple of times the year before so I knew how good he was, I told him then he would be a world champion one day.

"I still believe that, but I think he is coming up against the best in the division tonight."